Barham Pits - 16/1/2022

Pair of CANADA GEESE Pit B

Its not often I dedicate a whole post to Barham Pits, but, just occasionally, the place can come good. A set of three fishing pits between the villages of Clayden and Great Blakenham, on the outskirts of Ipswich, flanked by the A14, its set in a fairly urbanised area. Pit B is the biggest with Pit A half the size and Meadlands again which is pretty small, they are all tree lined, but are heavily fished so there is a lot of disturbance. It doesn't attract a whole load of birds, mainly those of gravel pits, but today there were a few goodies.

Barham Pit B, your typical gravel pit

A patch first for me, for the area along the Gipping, was a GREAT WHITE EGRET which alighted on a tree for a few seconds before flying off again, some time around midday. Formerly a rare bird in Suffolk, if this species has finally arrived to the Gipping Valley, then it has really colonised every corner of the countryside, a dash of something exotic in a very mundane place.

Pair of GOLDENEYE

Another local mega, and this is a strange one, was a pair of GOLDENEYE on Pit A. This is a duck which winters on lowland lakes, pretty much like the ones found here along the Gipping, yet in this area they are very rare. It doesn't really make sense, the area should have a lot more records of this duck than it does, its just one of those unexplainable things. My only other record for the Gipping Valley was one at the Suffolk Water Park a couple of winters back. The only other duck at the pits were four TUFTED DUCK on Pit B with five more on Pit A, not big numbers at all. A pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE were on Pit A, this is the sort of habitat that is attractive to this kind of bird, so they may colonise the area. These birds come from Egypt, as you would expect, the birds in this country originated from escapees from wildfowl collections that have now become naturalised. 

Pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE Pit A

The pits are good for GREAT  CRESTED GREBE, with several pair nesting on them each year. Today, two birds had dressed up in their summer plumage finery, and with the thrill of spring in the air, had decided to tentatively start their courtship. Okay so it was just a small amount of  head bobbing, not the full dance, for which the bird is famous, but its still nice to see, one of nature's wonders. A decent count of twelve COOT were on Pit B, whilst a count of 40 MOORHEN there was important. On a final note a KINGFISHER was on Pit B, a little speck in flight, short but nice.

LITTLE EGRET, half the size of a great white egret, which flew over the Pits today, this is now a common bird in Suffolk

Having visited this site many times over the years I really wasn't expecting to see any birds, I have become desensitised to the area. But such are the joys of birdwatching, the inconsistencies, and the fact that any place anywhere can attract birds, even Barham Pits.